The English Frier

The English Frier; Or, The Town Sparks, sometimes spelt as The English Friar, is a 1690 comedy play by the English writer John Crowne. It was originally staged by the United Company most likely at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, although it may have appeared at the Dorset Garden Theatre, the other venue of the company. Written in context of the recent Glorious Revolution, it attacks Catholic priests who meddle in English politics, undermining the constitution.[1]

The English Frier
Written byJohn Crowne
Date premieredMarch 1690
Place premieredTheatre Royal, Drury Lane, London
Original languageEnglish
GenreRestoration Comedy

The original cast included Anthony Leigh as Lord Stately, Edward Kynaston as Lord Wiseman, George Powell as Bellamour, John Bowman as Father Finical, Joseph Williams as Young Ranter, Cave Underhill as Old Ranter, George Bright as Dullman, William Bowen as Coachman, Samuel Sandford as Sir Thomas Credulous, Anne Bracegirdle as Julia, Charlotte Butler as Airy, Elinor Leigh as Lady Pinchgut and Elizabeth Boutell as Lady Credulous.[2]

References
  1. Canfield p.251
  2. Van Lennep p.380

Bibliography
  • Canfield, J. Douglas. Tricksters and Estates: On the Ideology of Restoration Comedy. University Press of Kentucky, 2014.
  • Swaminathan, Srividhya & Beach & Adam R. Invoking Slavery in the Eighteenth-Century British Imagination. Routledge, 2016.
  • Van Lennep, W. The London Stage, 1660-1800: Volume One, 1660-1700. Southern Illinois University Press, 1960.


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